Commedia dell'arte
by youkomazuki
Summary: I walked down the steps of times, my fingers traced over the infinite amount of Janus masks hung upon the wall. I traced my fingers and picked a mask, replacing the one upon my face. No, this isn't either. Where is it? The mask with my face... GiottoXOC


_The day 14 years ago…was when I committed my first sin. _

_The sin of killing my own childhood friend. _

_It happened on a rainy night._

"**WAAAH!"**

_Brunetta* was in love with a blonde haired boy who once lived in our neighbourhood. _

_He was my first friend. I met him just a bit before meeting Brunetta._

_He is the boy who gave me, an orphan, a name. _

_He was rich, unlike us._

_She was too different in social status with him. The day before his birthday, I encouraged her…and she confessed to him. He was a year older than us, much more mature and too intelligent for a twelve years old child. He knew the meaning behind her confession and the heaviness she carried on her small, narrow shoulder. _

_He turned her down with the most sincere apology, so I was told._

_Her hand collided against my cheek. The sound of our contact echoed into the twilight. With trembling voice, she swallowed back her cries and said, "if only I had your face…It's all your fault, you freak!" _

_Stunned by her words, I could only watch as she ran for the mountain. _

_A storm howled across the night sky. Brunetta's foster parents came to my home, asking if Brunetta was with me. Hearing how she didn't return, I went up to the mountain to look for her. _

_I found her body, beneath a steep cliff. Cold in the mud. _

_The rain had softened the soil…and the ground caved in. _

_**I killed Brunetta. **_

_My half-hearted words that lead her to a broken heart; these eyes and hair by parents whom I never met…_

_As the moonlight shone over the land, I became Brunetta._

_In her place, I will attain everything she wanted._

_That was the only way to repent for my sin._

"Don't let her get away!"

Cries of men erupted from behind as I ran through the forest. I hummed as my body whizzed through the dense forest. I ignored the burning pain grazing by my skin as bullets miss me by a hair's length. The sound of guns disturbed nature's peace.

"Bingo~" I sang the town now within my view. I picked up my pace.

I flipped over a roof and dropped down into an alley. My hand grabbed the layer of skin at my neck and with a pull; I ripped off my disguise, revealing another mask beneath it. The mask of a woman's… Brunetta's mother, who passed away long ago with Brunetta's father.

Brunetta's parents whom passed away, happily without realizing the fact that their daughter left before them.

With a quick change and a fake hair piece, I easily became the woman who treated me as her own child. I stepped out to bath beneath the morning sun just as armed men charged down the street.

"Move it! Move it!" The first man demanded as he roughly pushed the citizens aside. And I was among the citizens that were knocked down to their feet, unable to sustain balance from that rough, uncaring hand.

"Oh! W-What are you doing?" I gasped in a voice that belonged to neither Brunetta nor mine. I spoke in a voice that once belonged to Brunetta's mother.

"Hey hag!" The man said as he pointed his gun down at me. I faked a gasp and allowed a layer of fear to wrinkle my mask. "Have you seen a brown haired girl?" The man demanded as I slowly crawled back and shook my head furiously.

"Tch…spread out and look for her!" The man commanded. In seconds flat, they disappeared from my sight.

"Stu-pid~" I murmured in a soft voice and stuck out my tongue. The voice I had used wasn't as mature and old as the voice of Brunetta's mother. This voice belonged to a child's I had randomly crossed path with early this morning. I pulled myself back to my feet and dusted off my heavy dress made of brown rags.

With a stretch, I casually went down the street and eventually entered another alley.

Once I emerged on the another side of the street, my appearance once again changed.

My white hair swayed behind my back as my lavender dress fluttered weightlessly at each step. Once I emerged, I caught the gaze of people, looking towards me, whispering.

A reaction I was used to.

No one can blame them. It wasn't part of their daily life to see an albino after all.

"This is bad…I'm running out of pigment." I felt my throat loosened in relief upon the sound of my own voice. My voice which I had sealed for the past two days. My crimson eyes darted around the street as I stopped before a house. Making sure there was no one, I silently stepped into my home and locked the door.

I almost sighed in relief as I massaged my stiff shoulder. I stared at the reflection of my own face. My eyes softened.

"_Why would I be disgusted? I think it's cool and you can still see colour! It's awesome!"_

"_You freak!"_

"I'm a freak, eh?" I whispered softly, stepping into the bathroom and grabbing the bottle of black pigment. I stared upon my own reflection as the colour of abyss ran down hair. I gently applied a layer of tan colour over my colourless skin. I widen my eyes to place a greenish glass I made to hide the real colour of my irises. I sighed softly, taking a deep breath as before applying the final mask to my face

Once I stepped out of my home, the world before my eyes were dyed in the colour of emerald.

"Black pigment for Brunetta's hair…I also used up the last of the browns." I reminded myself as I locked the door to my home.

"Hey Brunetta, going shopping again?" An old lady at a flower shop greeted as I smiled at her.

"Yep! I got a lot from my part time job so I'm going to have a feast tonight!" I shouted cheerfully at her, waving my arms as the old lady chuckled in delight.

I smiled faintly upon her reaction and quickened my pace. I walked to a silent part of the town and down a steep stair. Light faded from my body upon each step I make.

I stopped before an iron door. With a rough kick, the door slammed open to reveal a worn down bar filled with customers. Customers who are all well-known in this world. A world where the people blessed with light knew nothing about.

"I'm back~" I sang, skipping my way over and dropped the files I stole onto the counter before the master. "Well, well…I haven't seen you in two days, thought you died." The master said as I laughed. I turned to a waiter, waving my hand as he quickly left and returned with a cup of wine.

I mouthed my thank to him, smelling the wine before taking a sip.

"Let's see…here's the agreed amount," said the master as he handed me the money. I quickly counted them, making sure the amount is right.

"Hey, who's that freckled girl?" A voice spoke from the corner as my eyes narrowed.

"A newbie like you should watch your mouth. You'll be killed if you don't learn the rules around here."

"What, is she someone important?"

"That woman's the Thousand Face Fox. She's been called the master of disguise. She can do a perfect imitation of the people that she's disguised as. Many top families hire her as spy you moron."

"You mean…that freckled girl is that woman…?"

"Who knows? I'm not surprise if that's another fake skin she wears."

I took a sip at my wine; no longer did I have interest in their conversation. "You're getting quite famous." The master said as I smirked and set the wine onto the counter.

"_Of course they're cool! When I grow up I want to become part of the mafia too! Then everyone will respect me!" _

"This world…isn't as cool as you thought it to be."

"What did you say?" The master asked as I stretched my arms. "It's time for me to get going. It looks like there's no one interested in hiring me today." I said, dropping the money for the wine as I left.

I stepped out under the blue sky and inhaled the fresh air. Every time I went in there I always thought I would suffocate.

"Oh right. I need pigments…" I quickly reminded myself, nearly forgetting my important task. I quickly exit the ally and came out into the street that was embraced by the warm sunlight.

"Let's see…" I murmured to myself as I tried to recall which direction the shop was in.

"I told you it'll be fine. You're too uptight, G."

"Whose fault is that?"

"The bar is in north…I turned left so this should be east meaning the shop should be…" I whirled around and was about to run off when I felt my shoulder collide with another person's.

"Sorry." Both the man's voice and my imitation of Brunetta's voice spoke in union. I didn't pay much attention to him, afraid that if I stopped I would forget my direction. Just when I was about to continue running, a large hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"What–" I was about to say when I turned to meet a pair of nostalgic eyes.

It was a pair of familiar eyes that I hadn't seen for the past 8 years.

"Giotto…?" I whispered softly as I took a closer look at the man who held my wrist. I stared at his hair, then examined his face. I couldn't make out the colour because of the emerald glass over my eyes, but there was no mistake. Though a lot had changed, this man before me was Giotto, both Brunetta's and my childhood playmate.

"Giotto, you know her?" The man with tattoo on the side of his face asked as he turned to Giotto. Hearing his name confirmed it.

This man…really is _him_.

"Yes…" Giotto's voice trailed off. He sounded slightly strange. The way he looked at me just now was strange as well. It was as though he was staring at a complete stranger.

"Giotto…you're Giotto aren't you?" I asked, feeling my heart lighten as Giotto turned back to me. "It's me, Brunetta! You don't remember?" I asked as Giotto blinked.

"Brunetta …?" He asked.

"What? That's mean! After I confessed to you, you went ahead and forgot about me?" I asked in disbelief as Giotto's shocked expression quickly melted into his usual warm smile he held when he was a child.

"Sorry, I was just surprised to see how much you've grown. I didn't expect to see you in this town." Although he sounded glad, his eyes weren't smiling…or perhaps I was just thinking too much. "A lot happened since you moved away." I replied as Giotto gently released my hand.

"That's right. G, this is the girl often I told you about." Giotto said to his tattooed friend before turning to me. "This is G, my childhood friend." Giotto introduced as I smiled at G who was eyeing me in a strange way.

"So this is the other girl besides the albino girl?" G asked but Giotto only smiled in reply.

With soft eyes, he turned back to me.

"It's good to see you again."

"Yeah." I laughed.

_I was happy when I met Giotto again. _

_Happy…that I found the one Brunetta loved. _

_I selfishly concluded that if Giotto could fall in love with Brunetta, then perhaps she could finally rest in peace. _

_And then maybe I can finally be relieved…_

_I can finally return to being myself._

_After that meeting with Giotto, we met up frequently. I discovered that over the years, Giotto had created his own family. _

_The Vongola Family, one I had heard of, but never would have thought Giotto had founded. Giotto learned of my standing in his world as well. It was only natural that he knew. He was the boss of a family after all. _

_We met over our free time between our individual work. He would always ask me to quit the dangerous job I do, and I would always brush him off with a smile saying that everything will be fine. For my inability to determine colour because of the glass I placed in my eyes, I told him a lie of an accident that rendered me became colour blind._

_Giotto accepted everything. _

_He believed everything I said without a hint of doubt._

_A year after we reunited, we began dating. _

_And that…was the biggest mistake I made in my life. _

_He was the one who confessed to me. I was happy and agreed, but I wasn't happy because Brunetta was. I didn't agree because of Brunetta. _

_I fell in love, with the man I never should have. _

_Although we were officially dating, Giotto never touched me aside from a gentle kiss at my hand and I never took the initiative._

_I quit my job and became part of Giotto's family. Two years later, I created an __independent assassination team__ called Varia. An organization I created so that I could support Giotto from the shadows. _

_It was only until later did I realize, that everything I did wasn't for the sake of Brunetta's love for Giotto, but for my own._

_I lied to Giotto and betrayed Brunetta. _

"Are you sure?" Daemon asked one last time as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I told you already. The reason why I founded Varia is to support the Vongola Family, not to go around and declare wars." I hissed as Daemon frowned slightly.

"Nufufufu...The mafia has no need for such weak ideals. Your way will only burden Primo."

"I don't need you to teach me about ideals." I spat before walking around him and continuing on my way down the hall.

"My lady, is everything alright?" I heard as I looked up to see a member of my Varia stepping out of the shadows.

"Yes." I murmured softly as I turned to find that Daemone Spade had already disappeared.

"Everything's just fine." I said, but noticed the weird gaze I was receiving from my subordinate. "What is it?" I asked as my subordinate shook his head.

"No, it's just that you seem tired lately. You've also been spacing out."

"I'm fine. Nothing you need to worry about." I told him and began dragging my legs down the long hall of the castle.

"Tired…?" I mumbled softly as I frowned.

"I guess I really am…tired." I sighed as I walked into the garden. It was a nice day. A day with thin layers of snow white cloud pasted over the sky to soften the strong summer sun. I walked over the flower bed and settled down on the fountain.

I stared at the reflection in the water.

Brunetta's reflection.

She was frowning at me.

"I'm sorry…" I apologized, but the frown never left her face. "I'm sorry." I apologized again as I buried my face into my knees.

Don't look at me with that expression.

I didn't want to see it anymore.

_I don't want to see that wounded face anymore._

"Are you alright?" A gentle voice suddenly whispered into my ears as I shot up with a gasp. I quickly turned and to my surprise, found Giotto sitting right beside me.

"G-Giotto! You're back from your meeting!" I quickly laughed as Giotto stared at me, obviously unconvinced by my poor acting due to the fact that I was still struggling to swallow the shock.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't–" I was cut off just as Giotto suddenly pulled me into his arms and embraced me. I lay against his warmth, feeling my heart pounding heavily within my chest. "I…I'm fine." I lied as I felt his arms tighten around me.

"I'm fine, really–…"

_I have to tell him._

"S-Say, Giotto…?"

_This time…_

Giotto kept silent as he waited patiently for me, but my lips couldn't find the strength to move. "Giotto…I–…I'm…" I choked softly, but couldn't continue.

"I'm hungry." My voice sounded as though it had fell and hit the rocks. Fortunately, it seems that Giotto didn't notice.

"…I haven't had lunch either, why don't we go together?" Giotto asked softly. Unable to say anything else, I replied with a soft nod.

The two of us left the garden without exchanging any more words.

_I failed to tell him…the words I've been trying to tell him for the past year. _

_I made plenty of attempts, but none succeeded. _

_I could never tell Giotto, the truth about Brunetta or myself._

_I was afraid...afraid that he would be furious if he found out._

_I didn't want him to hate me...I couldn't bear the thought of him hating me._

_When night fell, I could never apologize enough to Brunetta whenever I saw her within my reflection._

_Three months later on a stormy night…I lost the chance._

_The chance to explain to Giotto - of anything about me...about us...forever._

"Ah!"

Blood rushed up my throat and stained my lips.

The darkness before my eyes slowly faded as I saw the blood stained hands that had drilled the dagger through my gut.

_My_ hands.

My body went limp as I tumbled onto the grass. The heavy rain pounded against my body, soaking and tearing my wounds.

"Y…you…" I coughed as I stared at the feet that slowly approached me. I ignored the pain and forced my head up to glare at the man who stood before me.

I stared at that symbol embedded within that right eye.

The symbol of a spade.

"What did you…" I coughed; my eyesight fell lower to discover that smirk turning upon his lips. I choked out another proportion of blood. My head began to feel light.

"Nufufufufu…Now another chain that weakened Primo has shattered." My eyes widened at the sight of him.

"You…trai– argh! What are you…planning?" I summoned all my strength just to ask. At my question, Daemon's smirk only widened.

"Something a dead person has no need to know about." He merely replied before walking off. I gritted my teeth and tried to get up, but failed miserably as my body slammed back onto the ground.

My grip tightened over the hilt of the dagger.

With a cry, I tore the dagger from my flesh and threw it aside.

I clench onto the hole in my stomach. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't obey. My legs were too numb, and I was too tired.

"Giotto…" I whispered his name softly as I slowly brushed my fingers against my face.

Brunetta's face…I didn't want to see it.

The thought of Brunetta's body lying cold…I didn't want to see it again.

With my blood stained hand, I grabbed my mask and tore it off my face. I pulled out the green glass from my eyes and peeled a layer of skin off my arm.

My real skin was immediately embraced by the cool air, caressed by the rain. I smiled and stared at the colours before my eyes.

I gave my body a push and rolled to my side. At the movement, I felt more blood soaking my pale hand. I coughed out another mouthful of blood, the taste of copper melted against my tongue.

I slowly opened my eyes to see the grass around me dyed into the colour of crimson and black.

"Black…?" I murmured as I looked down to find my hair returned to its original, colourless state. The black pigment I used to dye my hair with was being washed off by the rain. At the sight of that, I smiled softly. No longer did I have the ability to feel the pain embedded within stomach.

I'm not Brunetta.

_I'm back…_

I paused in my thought as I slowly opened my eyes. I'm not Brunetta anymore…then…who am I?

Not Brunetta…not as the Thousand Face Fox…

"_So disgusting. Look at the colour of her hair…!" _

"_Go away! Don't come near us!" _

"Who…am I?"

Not as Brunetta…

"_You don't have a name? Then I'll give you one."_

Who…am I again?

"Bianca*!"

_Bianca…?_

"Gio…tto…" I whispered softly as I slowly opened my eyes at the pair of warm arms wrapped around my body. My vision cleared for an instant as I caught sight of those orange eyes and hair in the vivid colour of the sun.

It was the first time in years since I see the colours upon him. "I'm sorry…" I whispered softly as my eyelids felt heavy.

"Don't close your eyes."

But I wanted to.

I felt so tired.

I only want to close my eyes, just for a little while.

"Forgive me, Bianca."

_Bianca…_

_That's right…that's my…_

Just as my eyes were about to close, I felt a hand gripping tightly on my hand. I didn't know what he did, but the next moment a stream of pain ran up my arm.

"Ugh!" I winced, feeling some fog cleared from my head as my arm trembled in numbed pain.

"Boss!" I heard a voice shouted from afar as footsteps landed upon the soft grass.

"Knuckle, hurry." Giotto urged as I felt the presence of another person beside me. "Leave it to me. I'll heal her to the extreme." As that voice spoke, I saw a glow of soft yellow through my blurred vision.

I couldn't feel anything but the warmth of the hand that held mine, the warmth of that light and the coldness of the water gliding down my skin.

"You can't sleep, Bianca." Giotto's voice spoke just as another moment of pain ran up my arm, waking me once more.

"Please…I'm tired…ngh!" I winced through my lips I trembled at another wave of pain that shook my arm.

"Why…? I'm…not Brunetta." I whispered weakly as the hand that captured mine tightened.

"I've never once called you by Brunetta."

_What did he say…?_

"I knew who you were when you appeared before me three years ago."

_He knew…?_

"Then…why…?"

_Why did…?_

"The one I love isn't Brunetta, Bianca." Giotto's voice whispered softly within the darkness as I felt something tenderly brushing against my lips.

"_Hey, are you alright?" _

_A gentle voice asked as I jumped slightly in shock at the hand that gently patted my shoulder. I quickly turned around and through my long bangs saw a golden haired boy crouching before me. _

"_You're hurt…" The boy pointed out to my swollen ankle. I quickly crawled back from him, my body wouldn't stop quivering. "I-I'm sorry!" I gasped as when he was about to reach out a hand to me. _

_At my reaction, the boy quickly pulled his hand back._

_His smile never left his face as his large orange eyes stared at me in a soft way…unlike the disgusted looks I was used to. _

"_It's alright. I won't hurt you." The boy said as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. _

"_I-If you touch me…you'll get my disease…!" I gasped, shifting back again just when he tried to reach for me again. At my words, the boy only smiled even more._

"_There's no disease on you." He said as he gently took my wounded leg and tied his handkerchief tightly over my ankle. "See? My hands are clean. If you had disease, my hand would turn black." The boy said, holding out his hand as I examined his palms._

"…_They're clean!" I murmured in awe, looking at the handkerchief before back to his hands. _

"_That means you don't have disease." The boy laughed. At the sound of that, I smiled in both joy and relief._

"_My name is Giotto. What's yours?"_

_I quickly parted my lips to reply, happy since it was the first time someone near my age actually talked to me in such kind way. _

"_I'm–" I paused. _

_That's right…a name…_

_I need to tell him a name…_

"…_Could it be…you don't have a name?" Giotto guessed, no longer smiling as I quickly panicked. "N-No…I um…" I tried to think of a name, but couldn't come up with any. _

"_I'm…I'm…"_

"_It's alright." Hearing Giotto spoke, I looked down in shame. _

_Would he make fun of me as well? _

"_There's nothing wrong with not having a name." I heard him say as a finger slipped past my bangs and gently pulled apart my curtain of hair to reveal my face. "N–no…don't look." I gasped, quickly pulling away as I brushed my hair over my face again. _

"_S–sorry…! They're ugl–"_

"_They're beautiful."_

_I blinked at the unexpected word. _

"_Eh…?" I whispered softly as I quickly looked up at him through my bangs. "M-my eyes…?" I whispered softly. He didn't even try reconsidering his word before giving me a nod. I felt my heart flutter in joy. _

_It was the first time…_

_It was the first time someone actually complimented me. _

"_If you don't have a name, do you mind if I give you one?_

That's right…

"_Your hair and skin are white so…Bianca. How does that sound?" _

The day I met him…the precious name he gave me…

How could I have forgotten…?

"How are you feeling, Bianca?" Giotto's soft voice spoke just as my eyes parted to be greeted by the sun.

I shut my eyes out of reflex, my eyes unable to adjust to the strong light.

I waited before reopening my eyes again. A gentle breeze blew by us. I could hear the melody of rustling leaves and songs of birds.

"This is...?" I whispered softly as I slowly looked around. I was still in the forest, though at a different location than I remembered.

There was no one around, just the two of us.

"I'm still…alive…?"

"Knuckle healed you." Giotto replied.

At the quick remembrance of his existent, I quickly looked up to find his face staring down at me. I nearly screamed from shock as I discovered how I was sitting in his lap.

Without sparing a second of thought, I quickly pulled myself away from him. "Sorry–!" I was about to say when my eyes blacked out for a split second as my head spun. Unwillingly, my body tumbled back into Giotto's arms.

The owner of the pair of arms who caught me laughed at my embarrassing attempt.

"This is the Bianca I know." He chuckled as I looked down, almost ashamed. Unconsciously, I had reacted in the most natural way for me. Now that I wasn't wearing a layer of mask, I felt…exposed.

In front of strangers I didn't mind since I never talked to anyone using this face ever since Brunetta left. But I was talking now…and to someone whom I know.

"Bianca." I looked up at the sound of my real name and was greeted by a warm hand that caressed my cheek.

"Brunetta's death wasn't your fault." He said as my eyes widened.

"After I met you again, I investigated about Brunetta. I wanted to tell you, but I knew you would run away if I did." His arms pulled me against him, providing me his warmth.

"It was an accident. There is no need for you to hold yourself responsible.

"I'm sorry for being late, Bianca." Giotto softly apologized as I felt warmth spilling down the corner of my eyes.

I didn't know why, but just one sentence.

Just that first sentence, I felt the burden of my sin lifted from my shoulder.

Perhaps that was the word I was unconsciously searching for.

I lowered my head so that I could hide my face under my bangs. I didn't want anyone to see it, this hideous face I wore.

"I…but I–" I felt my long bangs being brushed behind my ears by a long, slender finger.

His fingers gently slid down my chin, tilting my head as I watched those orange eyes grew closer to me. The space between us closed…until our lips brushed by each other's.

_Giotto brought me back later that day. _

_We decided, the two of us, along with the other Guardians, that we would keep my existence a secret until we figured out how to deal with Daemon Spade._

_Giotto had organized for a corpse to be disguised as Brunetta to convince Daemon that I've really died. _

_That night, a funeral was held and Brunetta's name was written down within the history of mafia. _

_I had returned to my hometown that day and visited Brunetta's grave I made at the cliff. With some hired help, Brunetta was returned to town where she will be able to rest together with her parents._

_A week after my heart finally settled down, I gave Brunetta a final goodbye and returned to the Vongola headquarters._

_As Bianca, I acted as a stranger to Giotto and applied for a spot in Varia with this face of mine. _

_Through the death of Brunetta, Varia was in uproar. It was thanks to Giotto's leadership that everything was quickly resolved. _

_Since then, five months had passed and our life style pretty much returned to normal…almost._

"Bianca." I heard as I turned to see Ugetsu-san coming up to me. "Good morning, Ugetsu-san." I greeted, adding the _san_ since I have heard that it's a formal way of greeting from Ugetsu-san's country.

"The competition will be held once the sun rises. Are you ready?" Ugetsu-san asked as I peered out the window to see the sky just dimly lit. "Y-Yeah…" I answered softly, though I wasn't exactly sure.

"Maybe…"

_A competition. _

_An event Giotto held for the members of Varia._

_Although peace was kept in Varia, Giotto didn't have the right to move them since Varia was made as an independent team, apart from Vongola. Therefore, the members of Varia wouldn't directly obey the Vongola family. _

_To select a suitable leader, Giotto held a competition where members of Varia will fight against each other. The strongest member of Varia will be selected the next boss. Daemon Spade had offered to take Brunetta's place in leading Varia, but Giotto had clearly refused through the excuse of Daemon's position as one of the Guardians of Vongola. _

_Though the strongest being selected as boss was what it seemed in outsider's view, the real reason Giotto held this competition was for the sole purpose of returning me to my previous position._

_A secret only known to limited ones, mainly the Guardians excluding Daemon._

"When you were Brunetta, you were more confident." Ugetsu-san said as I smiled.

"Brunetta was always like that so I just went along…Right now; I'm still trying to get use to this face..." I mumbled; drifting off as Ugetsu-san smiled.

"It's good. Rather than pretending to be someone else, it's best to become yourself."

At his words, I turned to the letter I held in my hand.

It was an old letter I had discovered within Brunetta's parents' room, not long after they left.

I had always thought it was meant for Burnetta, so I never opened it. Only after recent events did I find the courage to.

_Thank you, Bianca. _The last line of the letter was burned into my mind.

"Be myself…" I smiled.

I wondered: Since when was I able to take such light steps? "Thank you." Ugetsu-san and I stepped out of the castle to see Giotto, Lampo, G and Knuckle already waiting at the gate.

"You're finally here. I was tired of waiting." Lampo said lazily with his body casually leaned against the wooden gate.

"Bianca, do your best to the extreme." Knuckle cheered beside Lampo.

"Sorry for the wait." I apologized.

"Let's hurry, it's about to start." G urged as Giotto extended a hand towards me.

"Let's go, Bianca." I smiled at him. Without hesitation; I reached out and grasped the warmth just as the morning light spilled over the forest.

With a step, I left the shadosw, melting into the light together with Giotto and everyone else.

* * *

><p>Brunetta – means "dark hair"<p>

Bianca – means "white"

**Special Thanks to Prince SuperSharky who kindly helped me by editing and pointing out my mistakes! Thank you!**


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